Ihis report not to be guoted without prior reference to the Council*
International Council for the
Exploration of the Sea
C.M.1989/E: 6
Ref.: Hydrophay Committee
Iheme Session I
REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON THE SALTle MARINE ENVIRONHENT
Sopot, Poland, 13-14 April 1989
This document is areport of a Working Group of the
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
and does not necessarily represent the views of the
Council. Therefore, it should not be quoted without
consultation with the General Secretary.
•
*General Secretary
lCES
Palregade 2-4
DK-1261 Copenhagen K
DENMARK
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TAB L E
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F
>
C 0 N T E N T S
Section
Page
1
OPENING OF THE MEETING
1
2
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
1
3
REPORTS ON ACTIVITIES OF INTEREST TO THE WGBME
1
3.1
3.2
3.3
4
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
Related Activities within ICES
. . . .
Relationship with other Organizations
National Activities . . . . . . . . .
1
2
3
WORK PROGRAMME IN RELATION TO THE HELCOM
3
Preparation of the "Critical Sediment Assessment"
Implications of PEX for the BMP . . . . . . . . . .
Overview on "New Contaminants"
Overview on Contamination by Petroleum Hydrocarbons
5
6
7
8
5
OTHER PEX MATTERS . . .
6
PROPOSAL ON MULTILATERAL STUDIES IN THE SKAGERRAK AREA
(SKAGEX)
10
7
HYDROGRAPHIC INVESTIGATIONS IN THE BALTIC .
12
8
REVIEW OF OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IN THE BALTIC
13
8. 1
8.2
8.3
8.4
. . .
. . . . . . . . . .
. ..
contamination Effects by Aquaculture
.
Input Studies/Studies on Sections Coast - Open Sea
Environmental Influences of Unusual Meteorological
Conditions
. . . .
Exceptional AIgal Blooros
9
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
10
ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . .
•
10
14
14
15
15
16
. . .
. . . . .
16
•
< ii >
Sectiop
11
Page
CLOSURE OF THE MEETING
ANNEX 1: AGENDA
.
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• .
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16
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• • • • • • .
ANNEX 2: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
.
. ..
• • • ••
.• .
17
18
ANNEX 3: RELEVANT RESOLUTIONS FROM THE 1989 STATUTORY MEETING
21
ANNEX 4: NATIONAL REPORTS
23
. • .
•
.
ANNEX 5: REQUESTS FROM HELCOM TO ICES
ANNEX 6: ACTION LIST. .
ANNEX 7: RECOMMENDATIONS
.
.
.
.
• .
••.
. • . . • . • 31
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• .
32
. . • . . • . . . . . . . . • • . 33
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1
REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON THE BALTIC MARINE ENVIRONMENT
Sopot, 13 - 14 April 1989
1 OPENING OF THE MEETING
On behalf of the Directo+ of the Institute of Meteorology and
Water Management, Warsaw, the participants were welcomed"by the
organizer of the meeting, Dr E. Andrulewicz. Thereafter, Dr P.
Krzyzanowski from the Ministry of Environmental Protection arid
Natural Resources of Poland, in his capacity as the present
Chairman of the Scientific-Technological Committee (STC), highlighted recent activities of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). He
reminded the group of the important decision from the 1988 HELCOM •
Meeting on ministerial level to reduce most harmful discharges by
50 % by 1995. The great importance of the close cooperation with
ICES, from which the HELCOM continuously receives scientific ad~
vice, and the key role which the WGBME and the former ICES/SCOR
Working Group on the Study of the Pollution of the Baltic (SCOR
WG 42) played were thereby acknowledged.
The Chairman, Dr L. Brügmann, then opened the meeting on 13 April
1989 at 9.20 hrs.
2 ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
The Working Group considered the draft agenda prepared by the
Chairman and adopted it with minor changes. The agenda is attached as Annex 1. The list of participants is given in Annex 2.
Because several members of the Working Group and the ICES Hydrographer had to leave already on 14 April, it was agreed that the
meeting should be closed earlier than outlined in the draft
agenda. Dr H. Dooley agreed to serve as Rapporteur for the time
of his stay at the meeting. In addition, other participants were
asked to prepare reports on selected items. Before further following the agenda, the participants at the meeting briefly introduced themselves because several new members were recognized.
3 REPORTS ON ACTIVlTlES OF lNTEREST TO THE WGBME
3.1 Related Activitjes withjn lCES
Pr H. Dooley introduced a paper on relevant resolutions from the
1988 statutory Meeting prepared by the lCES EnvironmentOfficer
(extract in Annex 3). There was no further discussion concerning
this information paper.
Dr M. Perttilä provided information on the outcome of the meeting
of the Marine Chemistryworking Group (MCWG) which had been held
in Savannah, Georgia in February 1989, chaired by Dr G. Topping
(UK). The main activities of that group are related to organizing
intercomparison exercises, reviewing methodology and individual
contaminants in the marine environment. The work is performed in
three sub-groups dealing with chemical oceanography (nutrients),
tt
2
trace inorganic and organic substances. The main item from the
nutrient sub-group was the forthcoming intercalibration exercise
on nutrierit measurements,
coordinated bY'Dri Kirk~ood (UK),
Aminot (France) and Perttilä (Finland) in which about 80 laboratories are participating, including man~ from the Baltic Sea;
Pre-intercalibration runs among a small number of laboratories
have shown that the sampIes are suffici~ritly stable. The sa~ples
will be,distributed in May 1989. Results should be submitted by
the end of August 1989 becauie areport on the o~tdom~ of the
exercise shall be presented to the MCWG at its next meeting.
Th~ trace m~tal sUb-group dealt mairily with, issues related to existing and planned overvi~ws on metals
themarine ~nvironment,
arid with quality aiiurance proqrammes~ including especially the
use of standard and un-compromised reference materials which are
available now for mariy media.
'
in
The orqai'lic sUb-qroup dealt with~ inter Al.i.ai two intercomparisori
exercises. The first of these was on analyses of PAHs, in which
preliminary resulti indicate that problemsarise when acetonitrile is used as a solvent for the preparation of sampIes to be
distributed. A r~petitiori of the first stage of that int~rcompar­
ison is possibly needed. Therefore, the second stage, includinq
extraction and clean-up steps, will not start before the end of
1989. An intercomparison exercise on analysis of cl1lorobiphenyl
(CB), c6nqeners will be carriedout in three steps, the ,first. of
which is presently underway. Overviews are planned for PCBs, HCB~
PCDFs and PCDDs in the marine environment.
•
Further information was provided by Dr Perttilä on the Meeting of
the ,Working Group on Marine Sediments in Relation to Pollution
(WGMS), chaired by Dr J. Calder (USA), which was held in Savannah
immediately after the MCWG Meeting. This Group plans to carr~ out
ari intercomparison exercise on trace metals ,in suspended particulate matter (SPM)i which will,commence durinq the second half
1989. 'Normalization ' of trace metal contents in sediments ,was
another important issue. Dependinq on the areain which studies
are carried out~ different elements are proposed to be ,used as
normalization tools, e.q., for the Baltic Sea the orqanic carbon
coritent and for sediments of the North Atlantic coastal areas Al,
Li, Sc and others. As with MCWG, the WGMS discussed probl~msre­
lated to analytical complexities~ qualit~ assurance and quality
criteria.
.
)
,
Dr B.I. Dybern informed theWorking Gr6rip on the next Symposium
6f the Baltic Marine Biol6qists (BMB)"tci be held from 11 t6 15
se~tember ,1989
in Szciecin, polarid.,This will provide possibiliti~s for improved cooperation amongstbioloqists, especiallY
to
enable joint action in different aspects of marine bioloqy.
Dr H. Dahlin informed thatthe 17th Conference of Balticoceanoqraphers (CBO) will be held in Norrköpinq"Sweden, on 3-7
september 1990. The participants are invited to attend the meet7
ing with research vessels. The necessary approval of the local
authorities has already been ~ranted.
3
Dr H.P. Hansen info~med the Group that the, Proceedinqs of th~
16th CBO (Kiel, S~ptember 1988) will probably be ready for distribution in May 1989. The Proceedinqs will be published in two
volumes (about 500 copies and 1200 pp.). He noted that the number
and extent of papers to be published has further increased and
questioned whether thepublication of the entire mariuscripts will
be pos~ible in future CBOs due to the increasinq funds necessary.
Dr. Falkowski informed on an IUPAC conference tO,be held in
St6ckholm this year in which one of the main items will be "Marine Chemistry".
•
~
,.
"
.,
.
4 WORt PROGRAMME IN RELATION TO THE HELCOM
The Scientific Secretary of the ~elsinki ~om~is~ion, D~ T.
Melvasalo, informed the Meeting about recent activities within
the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) and its subsidiary bodies, of
possible interest to the WGBME, as foliows:
- Since Ariqust· 1988, the new Executi~e Secretary of the HELCOM is
Commander Fleming otzen, Denmark,the Maritime Secretary is now
D~ Lar~ Thorell, Sweden, and the first Technologi~al Secretary
is Dr Vassili Rodionov, USSR.
- Guidelines for the Third Stage of the Baltic MonitoringProgramme (BMP) have recently been published as Baltic. Sea Environment Proceedinqs (BSEP) No. 27 in four volumes (A, B, C and
D). Also, a combined volume in lo6se ~heet copies has been issued. A number of these publi~ati6ns have beeri distributed b~
the HELCOM Secretariat in January 1989 through national contact
persons in each B~ltic Sea State.
.,
~ --
---
-- - - - -
------------
4
- The Biological Workshop (intercalibration with the participation cf research vessels) intended to be orqanized by Sweden
in Visby in August 1989 has been postponed by one year, to the
last week of August 1990 to be held in Sweden (Visby). Steerinq
Groups have been no~inated tri plan the eie~cise. Addition~l
contact persons were requested to be nomiriated by each country
duririq the HELCOM 10 Meeting (February 1989). Information
should'be sub~itted to the Swedish or~anizers (SNV Soln~).
- The Group which will prepare the Second Periodic Assessment of
the Baltic Se~ environment (GESPA) will meet in Tallinn, in the
first ,week of May 1989. Nine chapters will be included in, the
Second Assessment, each of them also covering evaluation of the
state of the coastal zone. Also included is a chapter on fish
stocks to be prepared by ICES; BMB will possibly cooperate in
advisinq on coast~l species. The conclusions are to be prepared
iri sprinq 1990.
- The Group of Experts on Airboxne Pollution (EGAP) will meet for
four days in April 1989 in Copenhaqen. Amendrnents to the
present monitorinq programme will be considered, e.g., additional heavy metals arid orqanochlorines will be, included;
EGAP is interested in cooperating with other scientific qroups
dealinq with measurements in sea water~ biota and sedi~erits to
have the same determinands to be monitored also by marine
scientists. Areport evaluatinq the depositiori values to the
Baltic, Sea for 1983-1986, will he published in the,BSEP this
year .. The riext evaluation.will be prepared in cooperation .with
the ECE, which will also host in future the HELCOM Airborne
Data Base for various substances using the ECE-EMEP facilities
in its data. centers. Emission data are collected for the
purpose of modellinq on trace metals and org~nic substances.
Th~t dat~ base will
be hosted b~ the Federal Re~ublic of
Germany.
..
e
,
The. Group cf Experts on Monitoring of 'Radionuclides (MORS) is
working on the b~sis of a revised programme. ,An evaluation of
the status.of the Baltic Sea will be considered durinq a meeting held in May/June 1989 in Rostock. The.outcome will be published in the summer of this year. MORS seeks advice from ICES
·in relation to sediment samplinq;
A
~ir
new group has beeri estabiished to consider the question of
pollution from ships.
- The HELCOM Biblioqraphy is now available as an on-line data
base called "BALTIC" which is hosted by the Swedish National
En~ironmerital Protection Board (SNV): The~olume of d~ta.is increasinq every year by, about 450 to 500 references. All environmental literature should be included, also the "grey
literature". The same type of information on magnetic tapes
will also be available soon in so~e other data centers, e.q.;
in Moscow.
5
At a meeting held in September 1988 in Tallinn, the contents of
the "Critical Review"were aqreed ~pon; and authois and po~sible
data originators were identified. Unfortunately, a great part of
the responsibilities had to be tentativelY designated to scientists not preserit at the meeting.
At the meeting held in Sopot, 10-11 April 1989, the progress in
the work was reviewed. Even though a considerable number of the
agreed chaptersof the Critical Review have already been drafted;
there are still gaps, mainly due to the slow, delayed or non-existent response from scientists not present at the meetings. Because the expertise of those Sub-Group members present was not
considered sufficient to cover all the aspects which should be
included in the Critical Review, again part of the work to be
done had to be left for the Chairman to di~cuss with experts not
present in Tallinn and/or Sopot. Relevant trace element data for
the preparation of "Baltic Sea Sedimentation Maps" are now available, but were received by the Chairman too late. to. produce even
draft maps for the Sopot Meeting. Data on organochlorines and
petroleum hydrocarbons in sediments are considered scarce in comparison with,data on trace metals. A,first,draft of the ciritical
review should be presented at the 1990 WGBME meeting.
•
In spite of the slow progress of the work, a tentative recommendation was given for the consideration of the WGBME. Because
sediments provide a medium in which long-term trends of contaminant levels could possibly be detected, and because contaminant
budgets can be calculated onlY if sediment content data are
available, the Sub-group recommended that Baltic Sea sediments
should be investigated on a multilateral ba~is under the frame- .
work of HELCOM. However, because changes in environmental stress
due to contaminant levels can be detected only slowly in sediments, monitoring should not be carried out in the,same way as it
is organiied by the BMP for other marine media. Rather, "exteri-
CO
•
6
sive baseline studies in sediments", repeated at intervals of
five years or more, were considered more suitable and would additionally provide a real chance to detect changes as weIl as to
prepare the studies arid assess their results more carefully., An
ad ~ (Study) Group should be nominated to coordiriate these
sediment.baseline studies, which should. riot be started until
1993, and to organize the assessment of the results.
The
Scientific
Secretary
of HELCOM weicomed that a long-needed
stated that she
wished ,tc receive, if possible; preliminary advice from lCES on
this matter in due time be fore the next STC Meeting (October
1989) for distribution among the STC members.
ans~er has been ~iven by the expert g~ouP. She
•
In addition, the HELCOM MORS Group (Chairman: ,Dr H. Nies), which
will meet in May/June 1989 in Rostock, is seeking advice regarding the most representative sedimentation areas for sampling
sediments for the monitoring of radionuclides in the Baltic Sea~
conducted rinder that Group. These qtiestions may be ans~eied by
the Critical Review, expected to be available in. draft form in
1990. The ICES Observer presentduring that MORS ,Meeting should
provide information on relevant activities within lCES.
In comparison to chemical and hydrographie parameters, biological
monitoring was consideied the most difficult. Significant differences between the ships and individual biologists were observed.
To provide measurements on a long-term basis of parameters which
could reflect the state of theBaltic Sea environment~ the use of
7
the large potential of "ships of opportunity"~ especially ferries, was proposed. Dr Dahlin reported on the experiences of
Sweden in the use of high-speed ferries, equipped with current
meters, that cross the Kattegat or the Great Belt. An fiQ. ~
Group, not related to PEX, should be set up by lCES aimed at assessing the present opportunities to use ships, platforms and
buoys for such measurements and which should also id~ntify modern
equipment and methods that function more or less independent of
specialized service by cre~ members.
In future, the need for
real-timedata to calibrate satellite sensor signals and the use
of automa~ically working buoys in the Baltic Sea will increase.
4.3 Overyiew on "New Contaminants"
Dr Andrulewi~z reviewed the information which had become available through other relevant international organizations and their
expert groups (GESAMP,· IOC,
lCES/MCWG, HELCOM). "New contaminants" has been a standing item of this Working Group for many •
years. There has also been a standing complaint on not enough
analytical effort undertaken to study these compounds. In particular, the work on organochlorines in the Baltic Sea environment
requires very much money and is considered to be achallenge for
analytical chemists.
It was noted with appreciation that in recent years other international bodies have become more and· more
concerned about "newly detected contaminants".
A lot of attention is now focused on these compounds within
HELCOM. As fa~ as the Baltic Sea is concerned, there was no
striking new information on "newly detected contaminants". It is
now commonly understood that the introduction of new synthetic
compounds should be more careful and that some measures to eliminate particularly toxic and persistent .compounds are needed.
Control and limitation of discharges of "new contaminants" are
now undertaken by the HELCOM, e.g., in relation to organo-tin
compounds in fouling paints.
The revised list of 5ubstances under consideration in HELCOM has
now the following composition (STC 13/6d/4,1966):
- Chlordane,
- Chlorinated phenols,
- Freons,
- Halogenated paraffins,
- Hexachlorobenzene (HCB),
- Lindane (gamma-HCH),
- Toxaphene and other chlorinated terpenes.
Suggested for inclusion are:
- Diphenyl sulfone,
a.
~
8
- Phenoxy acids,
- Polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins (PCDDs),
- Polychlorinated dibenzo-furans (PCDFs),
Polychlorinated naphthalens (PCNs),·
- Pyrethroids,
and already considered are
- Phthalate esters,
- Polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs).
The
list of "new contaminants" should be kept under continuous
having in mind that with the present powerful analytical
instruments it will be possible to detect an increasing number of
compounds in the marine environment which are of anthropogenic
origin. However, this cannot be accepted as sufficient reason for
the inclusion of a compound into a list of those to be investigated and monitored. More knowledge on the possible bio10gical
effects of "new1y detected compounds" is needed.
revie~,
4.4 Overview on Contamination by Petroleum Hydrocarbons
Petroleum hydrocarbons in water were determined on an obligatory
basis during the second stage of the Ba1tic Monitoring Programme
using the UVF technique together with an "Ekofisk standard". The
UVF technique was commonly app1ied with the understanding that
this was a screening technique and in case unusual1y high concentrations were found by UVF, other relevant techniques shou1d be
applied additional1y, e.g., GC-MS. In recent years, there was no
significant1y contaminated area recorded, although some tanker
accidents occurred, e.g., the "Antonio Gramsci" accident in the
Gulf of Fin1and, and some sma11er cases of oi1 pollution took
place, inc1uding unwanted oil discharges as, e.g.,
reported for
Po1ish economica1 waters.
On the basis of UVF records taken from the 1970s and including
re cent measurements within the BMP, it can be conc1uded that
there is no proof of a growing oil contamination in the Ba1tic
Sea and that there is no evidence for a greater contamination of
the Ba1tic Sea than the North Sea with respect to oi1. Most common1y reported va1ues for the open sea areas are between 0.2 and
2 ~g/l (UVF, Ekofisk standard, see Fig. 1).
9
14·
f:
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
16·
~~
18·
28·
20·
30·
I,g/I
32·
64·
63·
62·
62·
sr
61·
58
57·
SS·
55·
54·
22·
Figure 1
24·
26·
28·
Total hydrocarbon concentrations in the time period
1980-1987 (poutanen, 1988; Proc. 16th CBO, Kiel).
In addition, a very even distribution of PHs has been observed in
Baltic Sea waters. This could be due to airborne input of UVF
"active" combustion products. Another explanation could be that
there is a relatively evenly distributed pool of UVF active and
PH-related substances which are degraded only slowly in relation
to other components of the oil.
10
It is worth noting that more studies applying powerful GC-MS
techniques have ,be~n started in the Baltici Se~ cou~tries. Concentrations of individual compounds have been shown to occur at the
level of ng/l. ,For exa~ple, ,Dahlmann and Theobald (HELCOM/GESPA2, H~mburg 1988) analysed the composition of the non-polar fr~c­
tion of a t~pi~al w~ter sa~ple from the Baltic Sea and forind 40
compounds with concentrations between 0.2 (4-,M-phenanthrene) and
11.8 ng/l (n-C29) including.n-alkanes from C14,to C30, aromatic
compounds of petroleu~ origin(weathered oil, combustion products) arid products of natural origin (pristane).
Studi~s on oil contamination of sediments and on the effects of
the oil on biota are riot as weIl de~eloped as the studies on
water contamination. More effort should be spent to close ,this
gap, especially in developing the necessary analytical methods.
5 OTHER PEX MATTERS
It was rioted that the Pex Main Report had already been distributed a~onijst the PEX Study Group members. This report is no~ i~
mor~ or less final form arid will be offi~ially,avail~ble soon
as
an ICES cooper~tive Research Report; Th~re will be a page of errat~ to draw attention to individual errors.
The PEX Atlas is tinderstood t6 be a product contai~ing amore
complete set of the PEX d~ta. The discussiori in the WGBME revealed clearly thit the PEX Atlas should be distributed prefer~bly
in a'computerized form accompanyinq asmall. number of h~rd­
~opy maps .. It was agreed that a grotip inclu~ing the
ICES Hydrographer should investigate this question intersession~llY with
respect to the necessary effort; costs, etc.
previously it had been planned to hold aPEX Symposium together
with the next CBO. The experience .of the last CBO, however, was
not to combine too,many meetings; Therefore; the possibilities
will be assessed to holdthe PEX Symposium t6ijether with ariother
activity, e.g., with an ICES Symposium on "Hydrobiological Variability iri the lCES Area, 1980-1989" (Con~erier: Dr D. Dickson),
to be held for 3 days in 1991 in Mariehamn ..
The PEX Study GrOUp should meet agairi for one or two days in connection withthe 1990 meeting of the WGBME to deal ~ith the firial
proposal of aPEX Atlas" the preparation of .the PEX Symposium,
and a discussion of further PEX-related field studies.
•
'
I'
,
"""
•
6 PROPOSAL ON MULTILATERAL STUDIES IN THE SKAGERRAK AREA (SKAGEX)
Dr Dybern introduced the report from a first plariningmeeting on
multilateral ,studies in the Skagerrak (SKAGEX), held iri Lund ori
7-9 February 1989. Despite the fact that the composition of that
group is similar to the group workirig on PEX, the ma1n objectives
of PEX and SKAGEX are different. The
Skagerrak,. belonging
geo-
graphically to the North Sea; ii of great importance,for the
Baltic Sea. The experiment 1s bas~d on Dan15h~ Norweg1an and
Swedish initiatives
and is more
conce~ned
with
circulatio~
than
11
with "patches". The studies should be car~ied out urider the umbrella of ICES. HOWever" the three Scandinavian countries mention~d would carry out these studies even with6ut ICES su~port.
The main SKAGEX exercise should be carried out in May/June 1990
with about half of the ships (about 23) working in the fir~t part
and the other half in the remaining period. Some ships should
cover the whole period. An intercalibration will be arranged in
the middle and work shciuld be extended by transects through the
adjacent parts of the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The parameters
are similar to those studied in PEX. Smaller investigations carried out in September 1990 and winter/spring 1990/91 by a few
ships shall provide information from other seasons. Finland is
unable to participate due to Antarctic commitment~. The next
planning meeting is proposed to be held in Kiel or Rostock in
October/November 1989.
Drs Dooleyand Dahlin provided information ori the discussion of
the SKAGEX project in the ICES Shelf Seas Oceanography Working
Group. No one in this Group was in principle against the project.
However, the lack of scientific objectives, arid the short planning period were criticized. It was further feIt that the existing scientific information has not been sufficiently worked up.
In addition, some other North Sea States had exp~essed their
interest in particip~ting. Dr D~bern responded that due to other
plans for multilateral studies (Bothni~n Gulf Year 1991; followup of PEX)~ the only practi~al soltition seen was to carry out the
studies in 1990. He stressed that the multinational planning
grou~ has already considered in depth the e~isting'information on'
the study area. In the subsequent discu~sion it wasagreed that
not only should the hydrographie, nutrient and biological determinands be considered, as done during PEX, but additionally,
studies should be encouraged on organic and inorganic trace con-,
taminants. It should be kept in mind that such studies would need
specialized equipment, ships and personnel if they shall qive adequate answers on distribution patterns. The experience of PEX
has shown the need for proper quality control. More time and effort should be spent during SKAGEX on this problem. Modelling activities are also included in SKAGEX.
Preferably, synoptic information on the conditions in the North
Sea should be obtained durinq SKAGEX. It was,
furthermore, proposed that similar types of investigations should be carried out
in the North Sea. Despite the existinq criticism in ICES, the
WGBME supported the recommendation of the PEX Study Group that
SKAGEX should be carried out in 1990 as proposed, with the understanding that the SKAGEX Planninq Group still remains operi to
further cooperation and assistance from other countries bordeririq
the North Sea and open to stiggestions on how to use such a very
larqe effort in a still more optimized way.
Additionally, Dr Dybern mentioned that a Swedish programme (project leader: Dr I. Cato) has been set up to investiqat~ the sediments of the Sk~gerrak.
e
,',
12
7 HYDROGRAPHIC INYESTIGATIONS IN THE BALTIC
Dr W. Matthäus reported on recent statistical analyses concerninq
the water volumes penetratinq be fore and durinqmajor inflows of
hiqhly saline waters into the Baltic Sea. The analyses are based
upon 90 major inflows identified between 1897 and 1976. Major inflows - the final staqes of lonqer lastinq inflow processes - are
characterized by two periods: the precursoryperiod coverinq inflows oflower saline water be fore the onset of the major.event
and the true inflow period. Fiq. 2 shows the frequency distribution of the water volumes penetratinq before the beqinninq of
majo~ events at the Darss Sill (Vb) and durinq the inflow events
(Vd) •
•
The water volumes crossinq the sills durinq the precursory period
ranqe between 20 and 230 km (on averaqe 1fO kmJ ). In 69 % of the
events the volumes vary from 80 to 160 km . The volumes enterinq
the Baltic Sea durinq major events ranqe between 3 and 235 km
(on averaqe 70 km). GenerallY3speakinq, it can be stated that
th inflowinq volumes are >100 km durinq stronq events and <100
km durinq weaker inflows.
r
Vb Ikm 3
20
Prec ursory period
-
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.....
•
~
0
~ 10 -.
<I
E
;:,
><
<::
:..
~
o
~
o.
"'~
r>l\
~,\.
100
I
200
I
I
.300
Fiqure 2. Frequency distribution of water volumes penetratinq before the beqinninq of major events (Vb) and durinq the
major inflow (Vd ).
Dr Dahlin reported on BALTEP which aims to monitor inflow events
to the B~ltic Sea arid is part of the rGOSS programme. Dr Dahlin
reqretted that, owinq to technical problems, the SMHI had. been
uriable to prepare ~ fi~st as~essment of the data obtainedto date
13
for the WGBME Meeting. Dr Dahlin encouraged all participants to
investigate their possibilities of reporting more Bathy/TESAC
messages. He showed the initial results of a Swedish national
programme from continuously measuring buoys located in the
0resund (Malmö, current meter; salinometer) and in the Kattegat
(outside Fladen with T/S sensors and off Gothenburg with ·current
meter profilers). The results from daily analyses of data illustrate the slope of the sea 5urfa~e between the Kattegat arid the
Baltic Proper due to pressure differences.
During the 16th CBO (September 1988, Kiel), a first meeting of
the Study Group on Baltic Sea Modelling (Convener: Dr Dahliri) was
held.
It was recommended that a wo~ksh6p be held in April 1990
which should bring together modelling experts from Baltic Sea
6ountries. The aims of this workshop are to show th~ stät~-of­
the-art in modelling and point out possible objectives to be
achieved.
.-
The Modelling Group will continue to wo~k by correspondence. It . .
was"noted that the final membership of this Group needs to be
further revisedi some countries have been reluetant in nominating
their respeetive experts.
Dr. Melvasalo mentioned a HELCOM Seminar on Modelling, to be held
in . Leningrad in 1989. According to Or. Oahlin; the objectives of
tis seminar are rather different from the proposed ICES Workshop
because the seminar will deäl ~ith model~ in a more "open ~a~".
"
,
~
,
8 REVIEW OF OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IN THE BALTIC
Dr Koblentz-Mishke info~med the Group about the results of an
ecological cruise carried out in 1984 with the R/V "Kurtchatov"
the Baltic Sea in which a scientific crew,of 62 persons, including 5eientists from the GOR and Poland, partieipated. From
continuous measurements of fluorescence,
typical patterns, includirig a large eddy, were recorded. For the winter season D~cem- •
ber 1989/January 1990, another cruise of a similar type is being
planned ~ith the R/V "Stockman". Of the 25 plae~s for 5cientists,
about half have been reserved for pa~ticipants from other Baltie
Sea states (Poland 4, Finland 3, other countries 1 eaeh). The
names of interest~d persons who could participate as observers or
preferably with investigations to be integrated into the programme should be submitted to her as soon as possible. The parameters to be investigated include, inter ~, primary productivity, pigments, miero-zooplankton, nutrientsand background
hydrographie information.
in
Dr Koblentz-Mishke presented the collected results of the 1984
cruise. she is prepared upon request to submit even raw data to
interested scientists who may need them as additional input for
models.
Dr B. Hägerhäll informed about the activitie~ and plans of Greenpeace International for the Baltic Sea. In Auqust 1988, with ~up­
port from Sweden~ Finland, the USSR and Poland, a. field. trip
using a bus equipped with sophistieated analytieal instruments
was earried out to study the quality of waterways of those four
countries relevant to the Baltic Sea. Greenpeace supports the
14
"Wisla, Projec~" (September 1989) with int~inational partici~a­
tion. New project~ relat~d to the Saltic Sea ,will include, the
verification of the 50 \ input reduction by 1995 and the observation of "lar~e-scale gas and oil exploration in the 8altic
Sea~.
In future~ the Gre~npeace vessel "Beluga" is pl~nried t6
work partly in the Baltic Sea as weIl as in cooperation with
scientists of the region, following the necessary formal procedures, e.g., prior notification, ~tc;
8.1 Contaminatjon Effects bY Aguacultuie
•
,~
Or Tulkki introduced two papers dealing ,with environmental, effects caused by fish farming iri Finland. Leppäkoski and Häkkilä
(~Fish f~rmirig causing eutrophication in Finnish coastal ~aters",
14th CBOi Gdynia 1984) sh6wed that due to improved treatmerit of
waste waters from industrial and municipal sourcesi the fraction
of nutrients released by fish farming inceased but is still below
10,% of the total loadings. However, as a local p6int source of
eutrophication, the fish farms cannot be neglected.
Acc6rding to Mäkinen ("Report on suspended solids from fish-farms
in Finland", Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute,
Mi~eog. ,Pubi.
No;
74), ,between 80 and 280 9 solids per kg feed
(110 tci 520 g/kg fisb produced) will be released into the marine
environ~ent. The loading factors foi B00 , (145 to 720, g), nitro7
gen (51 to 86 g) and phosphorus (7 t6 18 g)
per kg fi~h produced
may be locally significant because already in 1985 more than 6000
tonnes of fish were produced by fish-farming. The collection of
sludge below net cages seems a logical solution.
8~2 InPut StUdieS!Studies on SeCtionS CO&st - open Sea
Or TUlkkiintroduced a paper by pitkänen~ ßl. (1986, "Phosphorus and ni~rogen balance of a coastal bay", PUblications of the
Water Research Institute, Natl., Bd. of Waters, Finland, No.68) in
which annual mass balances ~or N,P and,susFended solids were e~­
timated in a shallow enclosed bay of 53 km located at the coast
of the Gulf cif Finland. The results showed that onlY relativelY
small portionS of the total loading of nitrogen (2 to 3,%), phosphorus (16 %) and suspended solids (17 %) ar~ r~tained in the
estuarine area.
An extensive discussion fol16wed showing the further lack in information on which p~rcentages of contaminants are retained in
coastal areas and which part m~y reach the open sea. This is especiallY important for those coastal areas where any inputs must
pass baY5< and/or areas covered by many islands with r~stricted
exchange of water with the open Sea; These zories,may act, as efficient traps for ,some contaminants~ but, riot for others. The
WGBME noted with satisfaction activities within the HELCOM to
prepare st~pwise improved groSs contaminant load ,assessments for
rivers. Ttie next step would be to encourage HELCOM further not
only to organize the preparation of such assessments on the :'discharge rates" at the rivei,mouths, but also on the, "discharge
functions", i.e., the final fate of those inputs, their gradients
in a seaward direcition. Those "discharge functions~ are ,needed
for the major rivers separately because each individual river
mouth and the coastal areas may show, a different behaviour in
conta~inarit retention. It was agreed tbat, for the next meeting,
15
material should be prepared summarizing the pr~scint state-of-theart and proposing details of p05sible (pilot) programmes. Drs
Aitsam arid Hansen volunteered to try to provide or organize such
presentations.
Despite the fact that relevant advice on.why and how to perform
net. input studies has been provided by lCES to HELCOM,in a generalized form, this adviee has not yet been considered in the
present pollution load compilation programmes. The present BMP
Guidelines should be checked in relation to chapters whieh would
need to be added for carrYing out the necessary studies on real
net input figures.
8.3 EnVironmental InfIueneeS of UnuSual Meteoroloqical ConditiOns
Dr Tulkki introdueed a paper (Rönnbeig and Haahteia, 1988:
~Does
anchor iee eontribute to the decline of Fucus in the Baltici?",
Mar. PoIl. Bull., 19, 388-389) in which a new theory on the decline of bladder-wrack, Fucus vesiculosus L., in the northern ~
Baltic Sea in the late 1970s and early 1980s is provided. Socalled "anchor iee" is formed in Finnish coastal waters during
execiptionally mild winters when no solid iee occurs at the surface. The whole water col8mn is gradually cooled down close to
the freezing point (about -2 C in SW Finland). A cold period then
p~ovides supercooling of .the water. Ice is then formed in the
water as a crust on solid objects. The ice lifts tip to . the surface and removes the bladder-wrack from the solid substrate. By
this rnechanisrn, the Fucus will partly disappear~ with all the
consequences for fisheries.
8.4 EXceptional AIgal BIOoms
Dr Dahlin summarized the present results of investigations, on the
Chrysochromulina polylepis bloom in the Kattegat/Skagerrak area
in May/June 1988. A preferred hypothesis is that a disturbed nutrient balarice is the main reason for a pronounced flagellate
bloom after the normal diatom bloom. Extra nitrogen was made
available. In prineiple, the sources for that "nitrogen-excess"
eould be run-off from the land~ airborne deposition, inflow from
tlH~ North Sea or from the BaI tic Sea. In
Jamiary /February 1988,
the input from aii and land was extremely.highi 1.5 timeshigher
than the average i 2.5 times more preciipitation was noted, iritroducing nitrogen but only very little.phosphorus. In addition, the
possibility can be noted as to whether the North Sea is responsible by the entrainmerit of nutrient (nitrogen)-rich water. Foi
instance, in 1988 relatively high amounts of nitrogen compounds
were introdueed with the North Sea water. Even in the Kattegat an
increasing trend of such North Sea related nut~ients was reeognized. Up to 25 urnol!l nitrate-N were observed. When, during its
blocm, Chrysoehromulina riolylepis "feIt" a phosphorus defieiency,
the,algae started to produee toxins.
The Working Grotip discussion centered around. the question of
whether a silicate defieiene~ in the Skagerrak/Kattegat area
could have eontributed to such unusual blooms~ The,eutrophieation
of rivers reduces the amount of silicate, which derives mainly
from 'natural weathering processes and is only little infltienced
by anthropogenie aetivities, reaehing the. sea with freshwater
run-off. The implications of these findings are that silicate
e
16
measurements should be performed more routinely and that studies
in the transition area between the North Sea and Baltic Sea
(SKAGEX) are urgently needed.
9 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
In Rec. 9/1988 the WGBME had recommended that ICES should invite
HELCOM to co-sponsor this Working Group. At the ACMP and Statutory Meetings in 1988, this item had been discussed and contacts
between ICES and HELCOM proposed. Because up to now ICES has not
yet approached HELCOM in this matter, the WGBME asks ICES to reconsider the former recommendation.
The WGBME was of the opinion that the Working Group should continue its work, under the Chairmans hip of Dr L. Brügmann. Dr.
Aitsam promised to check the possibility of holding the next
meeting in Tallinn, preferably 10-12 April 1990, with parallel or
preceding meetings,
for one to two days each, of the PEX and
sediment Groups.
10 ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDATIONS
The recommendations as listed in Annex 7 were agreed in principle
by the Working Group. The final drafting was left to the Chairman.
11 CLOSURE OF THE MEETING
After finishing all business, the Chairman thanked the participants for their efficient work and the organizers for providinq
such excellent working conditions. He closed the Meeting at 19.30
hrs on 14 April 1989.
17
ANNEX
1
Workinq Group on the Baltic Marine Environment
(Sopot, 13 -
14 April 1989)
AGENDA
1. OPENING OF THE MEETING
2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
3. REPORTS ON ACTIVITIES OF INTEREST TO THE WGBME
3.1 Related Activities within ICES
3.2 Relationship with other Orqanizations
3.3 National Activities
4. WORK PROGRAMME IN RELATION TO THE HELCOM
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
Preparation of the "Critical Sediment Assessment"
Implications of PEX for the BMP
Overview on "New Contaminants"
Overview on Contamination by Petroleum Hydrocarbons
5. OTHER PEX·MATTERS
6. PROPOSAL ON MULTILATERAL STUDIES IN THE SKAGERRAK AREA
(SKAGEX)
7. HYDROGRAPHIC INVESTIGATIONS IN THE BALTIC
8. REVIEW OF OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IN THE BALTIC
8.1 Contamination Effects by Aquaculture
8.2 Input Studies/Studies on Sections Coast-Open Sea
8.3 Environmental Influences of Unusual Meteoroloqical
Conditions
8.4 Exceptional Alqal Blooms
9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
10. ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDATIONS
11. CLOSURE OF THE MEETING
---------
-----------
18
ANNEX 2
WORKING GROUP ON THE BALTIC MARINE ENVIRONMENT
(Sopot, 13-14 April 1989)
LIST
or
PARTICIPANTS
Aitsam, A.
Institute of Thermophysics and Electrophysics
Department of the Baltic Sea
Estonian Academy of Sciences
Paldiski Street 1
200031 Tallinn
USSR
Andrjushenko, V.
State Committee of Hydrometeorology
State oceanographic Institute
Kropotkinsky per. 6
119 838 Moscow
USSR
Andrulewicz, E.
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management
Maritime branch
ul. Waszyngtona 42
81-342 Gdynia
POLAND
Badyda, H.
(see Andrulewicz)
Bengtsson, B.-E.
Swedish Environmental Protection Board
Laboratory for Aquatic Toxicology
Studsvik
61182 Nyköping
SWEDEN
Brügmann, L.
(Chairman)
Academy of Sciences of the GDR
Institute of Marine Research (IfM)
Seestrasse 15
2530 Rostock-Warnemünde
GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
Dahlin, H.
Swedish Meteorological & Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
60170 Norrköping
SWEDEN
Dera, J.
Polish Academy of Sciences
Institute of Oceanology
ul. Powstancow Warszawy 55
81-967 Sopot
POLAND
Dooley, H.
lCES, Pal~gade 2-4
DK-1261
Copenhagen
DENMARK
19
Druet, C.
(see Dera)
Dybern, B.-I.
Institute of Marine Research
P.O. Box 4
45300 Lysekil
SWEDEN
Elken, J.
(see Aitsam)
Falkowski, L.
(see Dera)
Fonselius, S.
SMHI
Oceanographical Laboratory
P.O. Box 2212
40314 Gothenburg
SWEDEN
Gupalo, E.
(see Andrjushenko)
Hägerhäll, B.
Lagmansvägen 70
18642 Vallentuna
SWEDEN
Hansen, H.P.
Institut für Meereskunde an der Universität Kiel
Düsternbrooker Weg 20
2300 Kiel 1
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
Kaniewski, E.
Marine Academy of Gdynia
Czernowych Kosynierow 83
Gdynia
POLAND
Klinski, T.
Institute of Meteorology an Water Management
Podlesna 61
Warsaw
POLAND
Koblentz-Mishke, O.J.
Academy of Sciences of the USSR
Institute of Oceanology
ul. Krasikova 23
117218 Moscow
USSR
Korzeniewski, K.
University of Gdansk
Department of Marine Chemistry and
Marine Environmental Protection
Czolgistow 46
Gdynia
POLAND
Krzyzanowski, P.
(Observer, Chairman of the HELCOM STC)
Ministry of Environmental
Protection and Natural Resources - 1
Secretariat for the Helsinki Commission
piwna 36/39
80-831 Gdansk
POLAND
20
Matthäus, W.
(see Brügmann)
Melvasalo, T.
(Observer, Scientific Secretary of the HELCOM)
Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission Helsinki Commission
Mannerheimintie 12 A
00100 Helsinki
FINLAND
Pastuszak, M.
Sea Fisheries Institute
Al. Zjednoczenia 1
81-345 Gdynia
POLAND
Perttilä,
Finnish Institute of Marine Research
P.O. Box 33
00931 Helsinki
FINLAND
M.
Piechura, J.
(see Pastuszak)
Postei, L.
(see Brügmann)
Trzosinska, A.
(see Andrulewicz)
Tulkki, P.
(see Perttilä)
Uscinovicz, S.
Geological Survey of Poland
Branch of Marine Geology
ul. Kombatantow 62
81-740 Sopot
POLAND
Wulff, F.
University of Stockholm
The Ask Laboratory
10691 stockholm
SWEDEN
21
ANNEX 3
,
,
RELEVANT RESOLUTIONS FROM THE 1989 STATUTORY MEETING
The Council accepted the 1988 WGBME recomm~ndation that the main
report on the Patchiness Experiment in the Baltic (PEX-86) be
published in the Cooperative Research Report series (C.Res.1988/
1:6). Work on Part 1 of this volume; "Gene~al Report", has been
completed and the volume is presently in press. The WGBME recommendation that a meeting of the SUb-Group on Sediments be held in
1989 was also accepted (C.Res.1988/2:33), as was,the recommendation that the Study Group on Patchiness Investigations in the
Baltic meet in 1989 (C;Res.1988/2:34). The WGBME recommendation
that the BALTEP project begins on 1 November 1988 was also accepted (C.Res.1988/4:12).
of the recommendations not accepted, the recommendation on"the
publication of the 1985 Baseline Study of Contaminants in Fish
and Shellfish was not accepted because the full report on this
Study, including the data submitted, has already been published
as Cooperative Research Report No. 151. The recommendation that a
Symposium on Patchiness in the Baltic and Adjacerit Sea Areas was
not accepted owing to a lack of adequate details concerning the
aims of and issues to be covered by the Symposium, as weIl, as a
specific date and, venue. The recommendation that construction activities that might influerice the water balance of the Baltic Sea
should be subject to open discussions among the countries around
the Baltic Sea was accepted bY the Marine Environmental Quality
committee, but did not go further owing to a lack of specific action requested. Finally, the recommendation that the Helsinki
Commission be requested to co-sponsor the WGBME was not accepted
in that form, but the Council requested the Secretariats of ICES
and HELCOM to explore possible mearis of strength~ning the membership of the Working Group.
A Joint Meeting of the Working Group on Baltic Seals and the
Study Group on the Effects of coritaminants in Marine Mammals will
be held in Helsinki from 15-18 May 1989 to assess the impact on
seal populations of the high mortality of seals due to a disease
epidemic and to evaluate available data on contaminants in seals
to evaluate whether contaminants had any impact on the seal mortalities (C.Res.1988/2:44).
The Council has accepted (see C.Res.1988/3:5) a joint role with
the Oslo and Paris Commissions in implementing the request concerning the "enhancement of scientific knowledge and understanding of the North Sea environment" from the Ministerial Declaration of the Second International Coriference on the Protection
of the North Sea. A North Sea Task Force has been established in
this regard, which held its first meeting in December 1988. The
work of this Task Force will also cover the Kattegat and it is
possible that one element of its work will be a consideration of
the exchange of water arid materials between the Kattegat/
Skagerrak and the Baltic Sea.
22
The Council approved the conduct of the intercomparison exercises
on the analysis of trace metals in suspended particulate matter
(C.Res.1988/4:13) and on the analysis of nutrients in sea water
(C.Res.1988/4:10). The Working Group should ass ist in ensuring
that the appropriate laboratories participate actively in these
exercises.
The ,Working Group on Assessment of Pelagic Stocks in the Baltic
and the Working Group on Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the
Baltic will prepare the first drafts of the chapter on fish
stocks in theBalticand the extent. to which environmental
factors have affected these stocks (C.Res.1988/2:4:10(e) and
2:4:11(f», intended for the Second Periodic Assessment of the
'Baltic Sea, being conducted under the Helsinki Commission.
COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES FOR 1989
4t
1:3
The "Report on an lntercomparison Study of the Determination
of,Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Isomerids in Baltic Herring oil" (6/0C/BT), by Dr L. Reutergärdh and Dr K. Litzin,
will be published in the Cooperative Research Report series.
The estimated number of pages is 25.
1:6
The main report of the Patchiness Experiment in the Baltic
(PEX-86) will be published in the lCES Cooperative Research
Report series as a volume entitled "Baltic Sea Patchiness
Experiment (PEX-86). Part 1 - General Report", edited by Dr
B.I. Dybern and Dr. H.-P. Hansen, who will provide acameraready copy of the text, figures and tables. Theestimated
number of pages is 260 ..
1:10 Subject to clearance by the Chairman of the Consultative
Committee, the Proceedings of
the
Workshop
on
the
Chrysochromulina polylepis Bloom, edited by H.L.L. Rees,
C. Heip, M. Vincx and M. Parker, will be published in the
Cooperative Research Report series. The estimated number of
pages is 50.
2:2
A Symposium on "Hydrobiological Variability in the lCES
Area, 1980-1989", with Dr R.R. Dickson as Convener, will be
held for 3 days in Mariehamn, Finland, in June 1991.
A scientific Steering Group of 4-5 members wili be established to assist the Convener in planning the Symposium. The
members will be chosen by th~ Convener in consultation with
the Chairman of the relevant Subject/Area Committees and the
Chairman'of the Consultative committee.
23
ANNEX 4
NATIONAL REPORTS
FINLAND
During 1988, Finland participated in the Baltic Monitoring Programme of the Helsinki Commission in the Baltic Proper, the Gulf
of Finland and the Gulf ofBothnia. Joint monitoring with Sweden
was conducted in the Gulf of Bothnia. National monitoring in the
coastal waters includes about 100 observation stations, of which
twelve are so-called Intensive Stations. In addition, loads from
rivers are monitoried at 22 river mouth stations.
Monitoring ofbenthos, initiated by ICES in the 19605, has continued annual since 1963. In connection with this research,
the
oxygen situation of the Baltic Proper, the Gulf of Finland and
the Gulf of Bothnia has been measured and corresponding maps have
been drawn. Also,
long-term changes of zooplankton in the
Archipelago Sea have been studied.
~
..
Finnish scientists participated in the compilation of the Second
Periodic Assessment of HELCOM for the years 1986-1990, as weIl as
in the PEX studies.
Cycling of organic substances in the Gulf of Finland was
as weIl as the cycling of nitrogen. In particular, the
in nitrate levels in the Bothnian Bay and the blooms
green algae in the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Proper
reasons for this nitrogen research.
studied,
increase
of blueare the
The distribution of trace elements and organochlorine compounds
in sea water was studied in the sea areas around Finland, especially in the Bothnian Bay.
Sediment studies were continued in order to map the spatial organochlorine distribution and trends. An extensive-sediment sampling was also carried out for later trace element analysis.
A cooperative model study ori the water quality of the Bothnian
Bay was started in 1987. It is based on the data from 20 years at
ca. 206 stations. The aims of the project are, i.a., to interpret
the heterogenous field data, to improve the basis of water quality assessment, management and planning, to analyse the cost/effective ratio in field sampling, to provide more adequate response to catastrophes on the sea, and to specify factors influencing the state of the Bothnian Bay. The project will last until
1990.
An impact of an oil spill in 1987 on the marine ecosystems was
continued in the Gulf of Finland. The project included mainly
biological studies in 1988.
A project "Fish diseases as indicators of water quality" continued its second study year in the Archipelago Sea. Plaice was
studied over its whole area of occurrence.
tt
24
A revised monitoring programme on heavy metals and chlorinated
hydrocarbons in fish and mU5sels in coastal water was started.
Heavy metal inputs from rivers into the sea and methods to monitor them have been studied in the lower courses of several
rivers.
Mass balances of nutrients, suspended matter and organic matter
in the archipelago zone has been studied off two estuaries, one
in the Gulf of Finland and the otherin the Archipelago Sea.
A special study concerning the dependence of elevated primary
productivity and plankton blooms on currents, climatological factors, and loading and nutrient circumstances was started in the
easternmost Finnish waters of the Gulf of Finland. The project
will last until 1992.
GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
The following report refers mainly to studies carried out either
directly at the Institute of Marine Research (IfM)/Rostock,
Warnemünde or to studies performed by other institutions in close
cooperation with the IfM.
Water eireulation studieS
Within the framework of circulation studies, investigations on
topographically controlled circulation patterns were continued.
The analysis of experimental data from the western Baltic Sea was
continued for the case of weak external forcing. .A surprisingly
high variability has been observed during aperiod of weak wind
fields and small pressure gradients during an experiment in summer 1987. In· July 1988, together with the Institute of Thermoand Electrophysies of the Estonian Academy of Scienees, Tallinn,
USSR, an experiment on inertial waves (INWEX'88) was conducted in
the Arkona Sea off the coast of the island of Rügen. The studies
were aimed at verifying theoretical models on the reaction of a
stratified sea, bounded by the shoreline, to wind forces. The reactions of the near-shore wave guide were investigated by three
current meter buoys orientated along-shore and by hydrographie
sections. perpendicular.to the coast. Reactions of the open sea
were followed by a combination of time series from buoy and ship
stations with profiling on along-shore and off-shore seetions.
First interpretation showed surprisingly strong signals in the
coastal wave guide.
The theoretical analysis of the dynamie response of the flow over
isolated topographie features in a eontinuously stratified sea
has been.eommeneed. Partieularly, the generation of topographieally trapped waves around a cylindrieal obstaele and the proeesses of vortex shedding are analysed in the frame of the quasigeostrophic theorY.
Inyestigations on salt Water inflowS
Analyses were eoneentrated on both the physies of single events
and on the statistical.description of inflows. ,Investigations on
the salt water inflow in 1975/76 showed the following results:
25
- a
precedingpositive
Skagerrak/Kattegat area,
anomaly
in
salinity
in
the
- in the middle of November 1975, at the beginning of the inflow,
a reduction of the mean sea level of the Baltic Sea of about 40
cm below the mean,
- the inflow was .maintained by a steadily increasing east component of the wind until the beginning of January 1976,
- the actual inflow took place approximatelY 20 days after its
beginning when about one,volume of the main connecting channel
(Great Belt, Fehmarn Belt and Mecklenburg Bay) was transported
into the Baltic Proper, and
- the inflow was finished by an increasing mean sea level of the
Baltic Sea (about 50 cm above the mean value) and by a decrease
in the east component of the wind.
~
~
Further statistical investigations on major inflows of highIy saline and oxygenated water into the Baltic Sea were carried out.
Concerning the frequently quoted preconditions for major Baltic
inflows, it has been shown that neither positive salinity anomalies in the Kattegat deep water in a 30-day period p~ec~ding
major inflows nor negative mean sea levels of the Baltic Sea in a
15-day period before the onset of an event are necessary preconditions. Each of these situations were observed only in 50 to
60 % of all periods preceding identified inflow events.
The water volumes penetrating before and during majo~ inflows
were estimated. During the true inflow period, the pen~trtting
volumes of highly saline water range between 3 and 235 km (on
average 71 km ). The water volumes crossing the sills during a 3
precursory pe~iod ~ere estimated to range between 20 and 230 km
(on average 120 km ). That means, on average, about 42% of the
volume of the Beit Sea passed the sills before the major events
began.
Trends of
,
hydrog~aphic
determinands and nutrients
.
In 1988/1989, studies were continued in the framework of the BMP
on basic hydrographic,characteristics of the Baltic Sea. In the
period
under
consideration,
five oceanological expeditions
('seasonal cruises ' ) wereperformed in the western and central
Baltic Sea. The stagnation period in the eastern Gotland Basin
continued for 12 years. The salinity and density values observed
in the beginning of 1989 were among the lowest measured since the
1920s in the deep water. The almost continuous shifting of the 10
to 11 isohalines in the Gotland Deep down to more than 110 m and
140 m, respectively, finished at the greatest depths observed
since the turn of the century. Since January 1988, the salinity
of the deep water has been permanently below 12. The stagnation
period led to the formation of }he highest concentrations of hydrogen sulphide (4 and 5.7 mg/dm ), ever measured at the 200 m and
the near-bottom levels of the Gotland Deep. By the end of 1988,
the stagnation period has resulted in mean decreases of. 1.1 in
..
..
26
oC
3
salinity, 1.4
in temperature, 0.7 tinits in density and 4.8 cm /
3
dm in oxygen coricentration at thc 200 m level in the Gotland
Deep.
The ,rather warm winter in 1987/88 was followed by a summer with
nearly normal temperatures. The behaviour of the temperatures was
similar in the surface layer of the Baltic Sea.
.
~
The influx of water rich in salinity observed in October/November
1988 in the Arkona Sea did not reach the extent of a major inflow.
However, in the Bornholm Basin, its consequences were more
pronounced than the intrusions found there every autumn. The renewal of the deep water in this basin was combined with an increffse in salinity of 0.7 to 1.1 and i~, temperat~re ~~ up to
2.8 e, whereas the oxygen concentratl0n of thelnflowlng water
was not high enough for the complete oxidation of the hydrogen
sulphide .
Low phosphate and salt concentrations were measured in the winter
surface layer of all Baltic Sea areas studied in 1988, whereas
the nitrate concentrations increased regionally.
In January/
February'1989, not only the phosphate and salt concentrations but
also the nitrate concentrations were relatively low in the surface layer as weIl. In contrast to the off-shore regions,
the
eutrophication increased strongly in the area of the Odra Bank.
Unfavourable variations are therefore occurring in the spawning
areas of the Rügen herring.
in
Increasing attention was paid to urea
the Baltic Sea environment. Although its average coricentrations are low,in differe~t
areas arid depths,
ranging only between 0.3 and 0.5 ~mol/dm ,
seasonal variations were identified indicating that urea is
liriked with biochemical cycles. The phytoplankton was much more
active than bacteria in the transfor~ation of urea labelled . with
radiocarbon.
Investigations on biological determinands
In March 1988, ecological experiments were performed in the western Mecklenburg Bay. The investigations were aimed at examining
temporal changes of the chemical and biological parameters during
the sPIing bloom of phytoplankton in the open water as weIl as in
25 dm
containers. The biological parameters estimated included
theheterotrophic potential, primary productivity,
chlorophylls
4, b and~,' pheopigments; carotenoids; phytoplankton (qualitative
and quantitative), micro- and meso-zooplankton (qualitative arid
quantitative),
zooplankton respiration and remineralization. The
analysis of the results from these experiments is underwaY.
During four seasonal cruises, i.e.; March 22 to April 3, May 4 to
May 17, August 1 to August 11, arid October 22 to November 20,
1988,
the following biological determinands were estimated: primary productivity, chlorophylls a; b,and~; pheopigments,
carotenoids,
phytoplankton, micro- and meso-zooplankton, zooplankton
respiration and remineralization (May and August only), ,secchi
depth.
In the Mecklenburg Bay,. the onset of the spring bloom of
phytoplankton was later than in previous years (end of March). In'
the other sub-areas of the Baltic Sea (Arkoria Sea, Bornholm Sea,
Gdansk Deep, Gotland Seal, the bloom started when expected.
27
In 1988, a very high autumn bloom of phytoplankton from the
Mecklenburg Bay to the central Gotland Sea was the main event.
The corresponding biomass and primary productivity data were comparable to those from the spring bloom. From the Arkona Sea up to
the Gotland Sea, diatoms dominated; in the western part of the
Mecklenburg Bay, the peridinians did.
Contaminant studies
Surface sediment samples (0-3 cm) and sectioned mud cores taken
in the fishery zone and in near-shore coastal waters of the GDR
were analyzed for their content of (petroleum) hydrocarbons estimated by applying the UVF technique. The preliminary observed
values were in the range reported from other studies of mud sediments being anthropogenically impacted.
In 1988, sediment cores were taken from more than 200 sites in
the Arkona Basin, on a grid covering most parts of the German
Democratic Republic fishery zone in this basin. The cores were
sectioned and the two uppermost slices, i.e., 0-3 and 3-6 cm,
will be analysed in the near future to study the spatial distribution of trace metals, sedimentological and other background
parameters.
Since September 1986, at the meteorological station ,"Arkona", 10cated at the northeastern edge of the island of Rügen, filtered
aerosols (48-hour sampling periods) and (bulk) precipitation
samples (monthly sampling) have been taken continuously by the
IfM. The first analyses of trace metals seem to reflect the representativeness of this station to characterize the conditions in
the western Baltic Sea with respect to the 'airborne contamination'. Depending on the origin of the air masses passing the
station, very different levels of metals in the aerosol samples
were observed. From the precipitation samples, seasonal concentration differences for metals in the atmosphere could be related. Sampling at Arkona and the analysis of already existing
samples will continue.
POLAND
During 1988, studies on chemical and biological processes in relation to pollution problems of the Baltic Sea have been carried
out as follows:
Academy of Agriculture, Szczecin
- Analyses of trace metals (Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) and chlorinated
hydrocarbons (~-HCH, [ DDT, [ PCB) in fish.
- Crustacea plankton biomass and species composition.
- Meiobenthos biomass and species composition.
~
tt
28
Geological Survey of Poland, Branch of Marine Geology in Sopot
- Studies on ecological effects of possible sand and gravel extraction in the Slupsk Sandbank.
Institute ot Meteorology and Water Management - Maritime Branch. Gdynia
- Airborne Pollution Studies for Helsinki Commission
- Baltic
istry)
Monitoring
Programme of the Helsinki Commission (chem-
- National Monitoring Programme of the coastal area (hydrology
and chemistry) and hydrographie services.
- Analyses of petroleum.hydrocarbons in sediments.
- Analyses of radionuclides (Cs-137, Sr-90, natural K, U, Th) in
sea water, marine sediments, atmospheric fallout and marine algae.
- Pollution discharge of Polish rivers (the Vistula River in particular).
Institute of Qceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot
- Analyses of radionuclides (Po-210, Ra-226, Cs-137) in suspended
matter, sediments and marine organisms.
- Joint ecological studies with Estonian Academy of Sciences on
environmental factors influencing primary production.
- Trace metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Cr, Fe, Al) in marine sediments.
Sea Fisheries Institute, Gdynia
- Primary production.
- Phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos biomass and species composition.
- General fisheries studies on fish diseases of
cod and flounder.
herring,
sprat,
- Studies on ecosystem functioning in the Gulf of Gdansk.
University of Gdansk, Department of Qceanography, Gdynia
- Wet and
Sea,
dry
deposition
of N and P compounds into the Baltic
- Analyses of N and P compounds in
Gdansk.
- Analyses of trace metals
interstitial waters.
(Ni,
the
Pb,
water
of
the
Gulf
of
Zn, Cu) and N, P, Cl in
- Phytoplankton, phytobenthos and zoobenthos species
of the Gulf of Gdansk.
composition
29
Veterinary Hygiene Research Station. Gdansk
- Chlorinated hydrocarbons
fisheating birds.
(~-HCH,
HCB, r DDT, r PCB) in fish and
- Fish diseases.
- Microbial pollution of the Puck Lagoon.
During the year 1988, the USSR has continued to run the all-Union
programme of the Baltic Sea Study. This programme is led by the
Leningrad Branch of the State Oceanographic Institute and by the
Department of the Baltic Sea of the Institute of Thermophysics
and Electrophysics of the Academy of Sciences of Estonia and involves participants from 25 research institutes.
In 1989, the
following main reults have been obtained within this project.
In the study of the Baltic Sea dynamics, comparatively strong
jets have been observed in the open sea as weIl as in the coastal
areas. The jets can transport pollutants to considerable distances. The deep intrusive lenses found in the deep layers (halocline) of the Baltic Sea play an important role in the vertical
mixing of water masses and substances. It can be assumed that
these lenses are of the main importance in the mixing processes
through the halocline in the open sea.
The analysis of the intrusion processes in the formation of the
fine structure of the Baltic Sea water masses has been continued.
The vertical structure of the quasi-inertial waves was determined
and the existence of layers of low hydrodynamic stability in the
Baltic Sea pycnocline was found. These layers are connected with
the large current shear of the inertial waves
(Academy of Sciences of Estonia, Department of Baltic Seal.
The vertical structure of the radiative heating of water masses
was studied and the depth of euphotic zones determined.
The horizontal distribution of chlorophyll and different sizes of
particles were measured and the results compared with satellite
(measurements) data.
In the Gulf of Finland, the study of spring plankton blooms was
continued.
The use of the lidar technique for pollutant examination, especially for oil pollution, was initiated. A catalogue of different oil spectral images was composed that allow the origin of
the oil patches measured to be determined. The search for possibilities of measuring the hydrodynamic processes of water masses
by the lidar technique was continued (Department of Baltic Seal.
A great effort was to study the pollutant content in the Baltic
Sea ecosystem elements. The sediment study of the Gulf of Finland
was continued with the aim of determining the pollutant exchange
~
30
between the sediments and the water masses. Sediment sampIers of
special construction were used for these studies (Oepartment of
BaI tic Sea).
Special efforts were made to use the Finest ecosystem model for
the determination of the phosphorus concentration forecasts,
in
the case of increases in the phosPhorite excavations in the
northeastern part of Estonia (Academy of Sciences of Estonia).
Investigations in the coastal zone of the~ Gulf of Riga revealed
overall enhanced eutrophocation and increased pollutant content
in certain regions.
Studies of the biproductivity and seasonal dynamic oceanological
basis in the reproduction of Baltic Sea industrial fish were continued.
Regression prognostic links to determine the trends in the salinity regime variations of different layers of the Baltic for
long-term perspectives have been found (up to 2000-2020).
A background long-term prognosis for trends in the variations of
the main factors determining the salinity regime (river inflow
and water exchange through the Oanish Straits) as weIl as general
trends in the salinity variation up to 2015 have been presented.
Pecularities of the spatial and temporal variability of the
chlorophyll-g concentration distribution in the waters of the
open and coastal regions of the northeastern Baltic have been
studied. Methods for the evaluation of the trophic level of the
coastal zone waters relying on the data on the zooplankton and
chlorophyll-~ content have been suggested.
A test of the multi-layer liquid dynamics model on the data of
multi-diurnal stations showed that the long-term part of the
fluctuations is satisfactorily reproduced, whereas the short-term
part is filtered out. Preliminary, it has been ascertained that
the model does not reproduce extreme meteorologilcal situations.
The programme realization of the ~odified model of the substance
multi-year dynamics in the Baltic Sea ecosystem has been accomplished and the initial data for calculations within 1951-1985
prepared.
Directions for the third stage of the Baltic Sea Monitoring have
been elaborated and the recommendations for the reduction of pollutant input by shower flows entering the Baltic Sea given.
Ouring the year 1988, the USSR has continued to participate in
the Baltic Monitoring Programme of the Helsinki Commission. Pollutant loads by rivers and industry were determined.
The field study of the Baltic Sea by the R/V "Arnold Veimer" and
others has been cont~nued.
31
ANNEX 5
REQUESTS FROH HELCOH TO lCES
(February 1989)
The present reguests:
1. To conduct a specific assessment of contaminants in sediments;
2. To continue the work on evaluating the size of seal populations in the Baltic and to assess their condition in relation to contamination;
3. To review the results of the Patchiness Experiment (PEX) in
terms of any possible implication on sampling schemes used in
the BMP;
4. To provide advice on reliable, intercomparable methods to determine concentrations of suspended particulate matter in sea
water;
5. To study the problem of the intercomparability of nutrient
analyses and coordinate an intercalibration exercise on analyses of nutrients and oxygen;
6. To provide information on "new contaminants", particularly
those of special concern to the Baltic marine environment;
7. To provide information on progress in the intercomparison work
on determination of specific hydroearbons in marine sampIes;
8. To provide information on the environmental impact of aquaeulture, ineluding nutrients and organie load impacts;
Additional (new reguests):
1. To report on the outbreak of reeent epidemie diseases in seals
in northern Europe in" 1988 and its impact on seals in the
Baltic Sea Area;
2. To provide information on as quantitative a basis as possible
on eonditions (physieal, ehemieal and biologieal) relevant to
the potential development of" unusual alqal blooms in the
Baltic Sea Area.
.,
32
ANNEX 6
ACTION LIST
1) All members are eneouraged
- to send information on eoneentrations, inputs and effeets of
"organie persistent eontaminants" to Dr. Andrulewiez who
will prepare a review for the next meeting,
- toorganize written reports on national aetivities so that
they are available for the next meeting,
- to be prepared to report at the next meeting on how the reeommendations
(pending eonfirmation by lCES) have been followed in the intersessional period,
to organize that names of national experts working in the
field of Baltie Sea modelling will be submitted in due time
to Dr Dahlin (SMHl, Sweden) and that these experts are informed about the fortheoming Modelling Workshop,
- to organize that Bathy/Tesae messages, espeeially eovering
the period Oetober to April, will be submitted from relevant
ships aeeording·to the guidelines distributed by the SMHl.
2) Drs Aitsam and Hansen have offered to organize eontributions
on questions related to studies of net inputs of eontaminants
to the Baltie Sea.
3) Dr Perttilä is requested to present some information on the
results of the lCES nutrient interealibration exereise and
their implieations for studies in the Baltie sea.
4) Dr Dybern will present information on PEX and SKAGEX matters.
5) Drs Dooley and Perttilä will eontinue to investigate systematie deviations and trends in the different national BMP and
PEX data sets.
6) Dr Dahlin will present information on the preparations for the
Modelling Workshop and on other matters related to hydrographie investigations in the Baltie Sea.
33
ANNEX 7
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation 1
The Working Group on the Baltic Marine Environment recommends
that "repeated extensive baseline studies" (REBAS) on contaminants in sediments of the Baltic Sea should be organized starting
not be fore 1993 and with at least five-year intervals
- to quantify changes in contaminant contents caused by accidental and/or long-term chronic inputs,
- to assess possible effects on the ecosystem, and
- if possible, use models to predict contaminant trends and to
evaluate theoretically the effects of environmental regulations.
(for full text see Report of the Sub-Group on Baltic Sediments)
Recommendation 2
The Working Group on the Baltic Marine Environment recommends
that an ad hoc (Study) Group should be nominated, preferably with
members from all Baltic Sea States, to coordinate the REBAS on
contaminants in sediments of the Baltic Sea.
Recommendation 3
The Working Group on the Baltic Marine Environment recommends . .
that the Study Group on Baltic Sea Modellinq should continue to ~
work according' to its terms of reference and that a Workshop be
held in late April 1990 at lCES Headquarters (Convener: Dr
Dahlin) with the following objectives:
- to present the state of modellinq in the Baltic Sea area,
- to describe the state-of-the-art regarding marine modelling,
- to define what is possible to achieve by a joint effort on
·Baltic Sea modelling and to describe how this effort could be
planned.
Recommendation 4
The Working
that
Group
on
the Baltic Marine Environment recommends
34
1) A joint international investigation in the Skagerrak area
(SKAGEX) be carried out under the auspices of lCES from spring
1990 to late spring 1991, with a main stage lasting for four
weeks in May/June 1990"and shorter and less intensive stages
during other seasons, with the following objectives:
- to identify and quantify various water masses eritering and
leaving the Skagerrak area with the time aspect involved,
- to link the circulation patterns to external forces and biological phenomena,
- to investigate
Skagerrak, and
the
pathways
of
contaminants through the
- to apply models being developed presently to the results.
2) An lCES Study Group on SkAGEX should be set up for the combined planning of the investigations, conducting the field
work, and the workinq up of results. The Study Group should
report to the Hydrography Committee and to the Marine Environmental Quality Committee. The Group should be encouraqed to
cooperate with other relevant bodies withinICES.
3) The lCES Hydrographer, assisted by the lCES Data Centre,
should 'be actively involved in the work of the proposed Study
Group.
4) A Meeting of the Study Group (Chairman: Dr Dybern) should be
arranged in Kiel or Rostock on 31 October to 2 November 1989
and another meeting in February or March 1990 for continued
outlininq and planning of SKAGEX.
Recommendation 5
Based on implications from PEX, the Working Group on the Baltic
Marine Environment recommends that problems of quality assurance
and quality control need to be paid more attention for all kind
of studies in the Baltic Sea. This includes '.
- to follow exactly the procedures for using CTDs as described in
the Report of SCOR WG 51,
- to perform routine calibration checks for all series of
measurements, including tests of instruments and
methods
against standards, for physical, chemical and biological determinands,
- to orgariize intercalibration workshops
every fifth year, and
to
be
held
at
least
- to ensure that all institutes participating in joint Baltic
studies and/or the BMP should investiqate the reasons for discrepancies shown by intercalibration results and take appropriate measures.
35
Furthermore, an ad hlli:. Group should be established to prepare a
"Quality Assurance Manual" for Baltic Sea conditions relevant for
those data to be exchanqed between countries and/or delivered to
international data bases. This manual should contain practical
advice on standard equipment,
calibration of this equipment,
methods to automatically or manually carry out tests of the relevance of collected data, a standard checklist to be used before
and (daily) during the expeditions, and any other advice which
could improve the data quality. The ad hoc Group should further
identify institutes which are able and willing to produce and
distribute on a non-profit basis different standards for Baltic
environmental investiqations, e.q., for salinity, a low salinity
standard of about 10, and for nutrients a standard.stock solution
qivinq with one dilution step the "working standard".
Recommendation 6
Following from the results of PEX, i t is clear that due to the
'patchiness noise'
in each of the sub-areas of the Baltic Sea,
the conditions are not necessarily always adequately represented
by the stations presently used in the BMP. Therefore, participants in the BMP should be encouraged to submit, with not much
extra effort involved, all data from stations visited in the same
sub-area as the obligatory 'representative' BMP station and,
if
necessary,
collect additional data relevant to the monitoring
station concerned, but which need not comprise the full list of
parameters. Such additional data could be qenerated by, e.g.,
- measurements around the monitoring station over an area with a
radius of about 10 n.m.,
- transects through the monitoring station, and/or .
- time series measurements at the monitorinq station, e.q.,
from
an anchored ship or performed by automatically operating buoys.
Recommendation 7
The Working Group on the Baltic Marine Environment recommends
that the Study Group on Patchiness in the Baltic Sea shouldmeet
immediately before the next meeting of the WGBME, under the
Chairmanship of Dr Dybern,
-
- to continue to consider and discuss the results of the patchiness investiqations (PEX-a6) and their implications for marine
research in the Baltic.Sea,
- to continue the work on aPEX Atlas,
- to prepare an International Patchiness Symposium to be held
1991, and
in
to discuss the need for arranging a new patchiness study in the
Baltic Sea.
__
,..---- - -
36
Recommendation 8
The Working Group on the Baltic Marine Environment recommends
that an ad hoc Group should be established to consider the technical and scientific possibilities of using 'ships of opportunity', especially ferries, to provide surface data from installed sensors which continuouslY record relevant environmental
background parameters without much effort for servicing them.
Recommendation 9
It is recommended that the Working Group on the Baltic Marine
Environment (Chairman Dr L. Brügmann) should meet on 10 - 12
April 1990 in Tallinn to perform the following tasks:
a) exchange information on national activities
Baltic Sea environment,
relevant
to
the
b) review the progress in the work of the Sub-Group on Sediments,
particularly the draft critical review and the sedimentation
maps presented during the preceding one-day meeting,
c) review the progress in the work of the Study Group on Baltic
Sea Modelling, particularly the final plans for the Workshop
to be held in April 1990,
d) review the progress in the work of the PEX Study Group, particularly the proposal for the PEX Atlas and the preparation
of the PEX Symposium in 1991, .
e) review the final plans for SKAGEX,
f) deal with items raised as special HELCOM requests to ICES during the STC Meeting in October 1989,
g) discu5s the question of whether and how on-going pollution
load activities of the HELCOM may be supplemented and optimized by additional studies, e.g., on sections coast-open
sea, to obtain information on actual net inputs of contaminants and "discharge functions",
h) review the results of studies carried
and exceptional algal blooms,
out
on
eutrophication
i) review the outcome of intercomparison exercises and their implications for Baltic studies,
j) review information on new contaminants
and
on
oil
contami-
nation, and
k) investigate the environmental influences of extreme meteorological conditions, e.g., mild winters or the exceptionally
long stagnation period in the Baltic Sea.